L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #3
Issue #3 is the crucial pivot that sets the entire L.E.G.I.O.N. series in motion as a proper ongoing saga: the Computer Tyrants of Colu — ancient enemies of Vril Dox II and his home world — take on their new humanoid android form here after being defeated by Dox in the preceding issues, beginning a long-running revenge plot that threads through the whole series and retroactively connects to the far-future villain Pulsar Stargrave of Legion of Super-Heroes lore. Simultaneously, the death of one of Lobo's space dolphins — accidentally caused by Garryn Bek — sets in motion Lobo's first confrontation with the nascent L.E.G.I.O.N. team, the event that ultimately transforms the Czarnian bounty hunter from an antagonist into a recurring ally and key cast member, making this issue a structural hinge for one of the most distinctive team books of the late Copper Age. The issue also continues the series' thematic mission of depicting Vril Dox as a morally compromised, Machiavellian architect whose methods consistently undermine his stated goals, giving DC readers a superhero leader defined by cunning and manipulation rather than heroism.
In "How to Win Friends and Influence People!", the Legion of Super-Heroes faces a new threat as the computer tyrants take on organic form, turning their cold logic into a living menace just as Vril and his allies struggle to repair the chaos they've unleashed. Meanwhile, Garryn’s accidental death of one of Lobo’s dolphins sends shockwaves through the team, testing their unity in the face of escalating tension. Written by Alan Grant and Keith Giffen, with art by Barry Kitson and Keith Giffen, and a cover by Kevin Maguire and Al Gordon, this 1989 issue delivers high-stakes drama with a touch of dark humor.
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L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 grew directly out of the 1988 DC crossover event Invasion!, plotted by Keith Giffen and scripted by Bill Mantlo, in which Vril Dox II, Garryn Bek, and other Starlag prisoners first appeared. The ongoing series launched in February 1989 with Giffen providing plot and breakdowns, Alan Grant scripting, and Barry Kitson on pencils — a creative team that remained stable through the early run and is credited on issue #3 alongside inker Mike DeCarlo, colorist Lovern Kindzierski, and editor Karen Berger. Cover art for #3, as with most of the early run, was supplied by Kevin Maguire and Al Gordon, lending the series a visual consistency that tied it to the prestige 'New Format' line DC was building at the time.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: April 1989; published by DC Comics as part of the 'New Format' (no Comics Code) line; story title: 'How to Win Friends and Influence People!'
- Plot/breakdowns by Keith Giffen, script by Alan Grant, pencils by Barry Kitson, inks by Mike DeCarlo; cover art by Kevin Maguire and Al Gordon; editor: Karen Berger.
- The Computer Tyrants of Colu — the malevolent machine intelligences that ruled Colu and created the original Brainiac — take on a new humanoid android form in this issue after Dox destroys their ability to reclaim their original bodies, a form later theorized by in-universe scholarship to be connected to the 30th-century Legion villain Pulsar Stargrave.
- Garryn Bek and Lyrissa Mallor accidentally kill one of Lobo's prized space dolphins while fleeing Colu, directly triggering Lobo's arrival on Colu at the issue's close — the chain of events that leads to Lobo joining (under coercion) the L.E.G.I.O.N. in subsequent issues.
- Vril Dox II is depicted here as a clone of Brainiac (Vril Dox I), establishing the Dox lineage that runs forward to Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Super-Heroes; Lyrissa Mallor is the champion of Talok VIII and a direct ancestor of Shadow Lass.
- Characters appearing in this issue: Vril Dox II, Garryn Bek, Lyrissa Mallor, Stealth, Strata, the Durlan, and Lobo (arriving at issue's end); the issue is 32 pages, full color.
- The series ran for 70 issues (1989–1994) under annually updated titles (L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 through '94) before being succeeded by R.E.B.E.L.S. '94; issue #3 belongs to the foundational Colu arc that comprises the first three issues.
- The L.E.G.I.O.N. series was launched without a Comics Code seal under DC's New Format initiative, allowing for the mature, morally grey storytelling that distinguished it from mainstream superhero fare of the era.
Cast · 7 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
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The computer tyrants acquire an organic body and attack as Vril and his companions are trying the fix the damage they caused. Meanwhile Garryn accidentally kills one of Lobo's dolphins.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).